Paltrow and Joel Gallen of Tenth Planet Productions will executive produce the September 5 broadcast, live from the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. For the first time, there will be a Canada-inclusive co-broadcast of the Stand Up To Cancer special, which will air simultaneously on all four major English-language Canadian networks: CBC, City,CTV and Global, along with Canadian services AMI, CHCH, CHEK, Fight Network, and Hollywood Suite.

Instead of the traditional phone bank staffed by celebrities, the September 5 telecast will feature a “digital lounge” on the set, hosted by Yahoo News Global Anchor Katie Couric. Stars in the digital lounge will reach out to viewers via phone, Facebook, Instagram and other social media platforms through an exciting new campaign called “We’re Calling You” that SU2C’s supporters can sign up for, as of today, at werecallingyou.org*.

“Since we started Stand Up To Cancer in 2008, social media has exploded, creating a whole new way to connect,” said Couric, a Co-Founder of the U.S-based Stand Up To Cancer initiative. “So in an unprecedented way, we’ll have plenty of stars reaching out to donors via social media, thanking them through Facebook messages, digital shout outs, Instagrams and tweets. In other words, this year, we are so 2014!”

There have been three previous Stand Up To Cancer roadblock fundraising specials, which aired on dozens of U.S. broadcast and cable networks. Facebook has collaborated with the U.S.-based Stand Up To Cancer program since the first telecast in 2008 and is now SU2C’s primary social media partner. With the “We’re Calling You” activation, Facebook and Instagram will enable supporters and fans in Canada as well as the U.S. to engage directly with their favorite stars. See more at werecallingyou.org.